Canada’s prisons brace for shrinking spending and a growing population

ANNA MEHLER PAPERNY

Monday, August 20 – Globe and Mail
Corrections Canada faces years of big budget cuts even as its resources are stretched increasingly thin.

The federal agency must trim $295-million in spending by 2015 as part of the Conservative government’s deficit-reduction program. This is the first time the agency has had to cut its budget, year to year, since 2006.

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Corrections Canada plans electronic anklets for parolees despite flaws

ANNA MEHLER PAPERNY

August `17, 2012 – Globe and Mail

Correctional Service Canada plans to roll out electronic anklets to monitor parolees – even though its own pilot project found the devices did not work as hoped.

The idea is to ensure that offenders follow the conditions of their release. A tiny proportion of parolees breach those conditions or reoffend, although the number has been getting smaller for four years.

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Double-bunking in prisons not a problem for Vic Toews

Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press

Thursday, July 12 – Globe and Mail

ANNA MEHLER PAPERNY

Public Safety Minister Vic Toews says he has no problem with the number of federal inmates sharing cells built for one.

And even as he reiterated his commitment to building 2,700 new cells in existing prison facilities, he said those additional units aren’t meant to alleviate the pressures caused by double-bunking – because there’s no need.

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